Menu

Menu

Let’s get all blue and red. Or not.

I have a confession to make. When it comes to politics, I have been about as apathetic as the average 40-something father is about Justin Bieber. I just don’t care. When I found out about the electoral college in my high school government class, I automatically assumed that my vote was just worthless, and I’ve used that as an excuse for political apathy, even though it’s not actually true.

Since I’m a college student, this is the first presidential election where I can vote. I go to a conservative, private college where not voting for Romney will be looked down upon. But, in my humble opinion, Romney isn’t going to really change much anyway. Christians need to quit touting a political candidate as if he or she is going to solve our problems. That hasn’t happened in the past, and it won’t happen in the future.

Instead of running the risk of alienating people by shouting my conservative or liberal beliefs, I’m taking a different stance. I’m not a Republican or Democrat. As Eugene Cho says, “When people ask if I am a Democrat or Republican, I often respond: On what issue?” Contrary to what we may have been led to believe, the Republican Party is not Christian and neither is the Democratic Party. Additionally, neither of these parties is from Hell. They are both made up of flawed, misguided, often power-hungry people, and putting any stock in that kind of mishmash is a recipe for disaster.

As Christians, our response to the election should be threefold:

1. Vote in line with your beliefs based on the holy, infallible, unchanging Word of God. That’s a lot more stable than any political candidate.

2. Pray for the people involved instead of the results. If Obama becomes president, that’s God’s plan. If Romney becomes president, that’s God’s plan. God is working in everything, from the tiny intricacies of the timing of your bus to work, to the next leader of our country. Pray that our leaders get to know God well. After all, their personal salvation is immeasurably more important than an election. People become president every four years, but people spend an eternity either with Jesus or separate from him.

3. Move on. Once the results are in, there’s nothing more to be said about the election. Live passionately as a follower of Jesus. That will have longer-lasting results in the lives of others than a presidency.

As election season comes to a close, I love what Jen Hatmaker says about what our perspective should be: “God’s kingdom exists anywhere believers are choosing love and grace and reckless obedience; it is undeterred by a red or blue context.”